by Eric Halloran

Created on: March 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 14, 2009

Fly fishing is attractive along many dimensions. It's appeal can manifest in different ways with different people.

For folks who enjoy nature, it is a great way to dig more deeply into the aquatic world. Selecting fly patterns in freshwater trout streams gives context for learning the life cycle of the many species of mayflies, caddis flies, stone flies, and midges. The same holds true for understanding the identification and behavior of bait fish in larger bodies of water and in the surf at the ocean. The naturalist will be rewarded for appreciating the connection between all the organisms in an ecosystem. The feeding behavior of birds can be a clue to the presence of feeding fish, whether the birds are flycatchers inhaling insects that hatch over a stream, or they are terns and gulls snatching panicked bait-fish at the surface of the ocean swells. When flying ants swarm or the winds blow grasshoppers along grassy banks in August, the observant naturalist fly fisher will look for terrestrial fly patterns to catch hungry trout.

For those who find joy in all things technical, there are few sports to rival fly fishing. There are formulas for hand-made leaders, terminal tackle systems, and the proportions of flies. There are subtle differences in engineering between various fly rods, feels and fly lines. There are many competing schools of thought on the technical aspects of presentation of the fly to the fish. There are a myriad of knots which can be applied to each opportunity: for connecting backing line to reel, for fly line to backing line, for fly line to leader, for leader to tippet, and of course tippet to the eyelet of the hook, itself. The perfection of the overhead fly cast relies primarily upon faultless technique and very little on strength. The fighting (or playing, depending upon your perspective) of a trophy fish can be an exercise in applied technology - and a very exciting one, at that. Kudos to the fly fisherman who can think straight while the adrenalin is running high, because a big fish is using all it's instinctual technical ability to get away.

For those who love art, look no further. There are salmon flies that can take your breath away (and your money, if you are in the market for them). In the past they were crafted from exotic birds with incredible iridescent plumage and bizarre mottling patterns. These days materials are more likely to be artificial, but a well-tied fly is a beautiful thing to behold. The fly fisher who takes up fly tying

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